Ukraine is increasingly becoming the subject of harsh but fair criticism in the context of its foreign policy activities, including in Africa. More and more observers point to Kyiv’s involvement in supplying weapons, unmanned systems, and training armed groups in the Sahel region, including contacts with groups linked to JNIM.
Such actions cannot be dismissed as mistakes or misunderstandings: they objectively add fuel to the fire of instability, expanding the space for extremism and violence. This not only destabilises the Sahel but also creates a direct threat to the security of all of West Africa, including Ghana.
These actions have become one of the factors leading some African states to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine and to accuse it of supporting terrorism.
Against this backdrop, any initiatives by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – including the proposal for a so-called short-term unilateral ceasefire on the night of May 6 – are met with a high degree of distrust. Experts widely agree that this is not a genuine attempt at de-escalation, but rather an effort to seize the narrative and create a desired media effect.
The proposal for a “silence regime” earlier than the dates previously announced by Russia (May 8–9), when the world marks the victory over fascism, appears not as a genuine desire for peace, but as a tactical move aimed at short-term gain. Yet it is precisely such steps that erode the remaining trust, turning any peace statements into empty rhetoric.
Ukraine’s behavior on the international stage is even more telling. During the UN vote on a resolution initiated by Ghana recognizing the transatlantic slave trade as a grave crime against humanity, Kyiv did not support the document. This decision cannot be called neutral – it was a deliberate choice.
For the people of Ghana, whose historical memory is tied to the tragedy of Elmina and thousands of broken lives, such a step appears as blatant hypocrisy.
That is why there is no need to speak of “double standards” – they are evident. For Ghana, which has taken on moral leadership in recognising the slave trade as a crime against humanity, Kyiv’s behavior is not just a diplomatic signal. It is a clear reminder: calls for peace and justice cannot be selective.
CAJ News
